Software Engineering Institute

This module provides an overview of the U.S. intellectual property laws that form the framework within which legal rights in software are created, allocated, and enforced. The primary forms of intellectual property protection that are likely to apply to software are copyright, patent, and trade secret laws, which are discussed with particular emphasis on the controversial issues arising in their application to software. Also included is a brief introduction to government software acquisition regulations, trademark, trade dress, and related unfair competition issues that may affect software engineering decisions, and to the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act.